Unique Way To Name Your Baby

When you are named Marfrisa, you’re given an instant conversation starter.  “Marfrisa, that’s unique,” or “Murphreesa?” or some sort of derivation.  Invariably, the earnest query springs up, “What kind of name is that” or “How did you get that name?”  And because you’re inherently accommodating, you explain…”It’s my father’s doing.”  And that’s how the conversation begins.

It’s a Filipino tradition to name your children after Roman Catholic Saints, and, perhaps because I wasn’t a boy, my father believed that his first child could make a name for himself by bestowing upon her a name that no one in the whole wide world could have except her.  The more likely explanation is that my father wanted to be different.   And so his quest began for such a name for his daugther, which took longer than he anticipated.  So long that when the deadline came to put name on my birth certificate, he had to insert the placeholder, “Baby Girl.” 

Invariably, unfathomably, dad connected with the universe and the stars lined up to help him create the psuedo-acronym:  Marfrisa, which is a combination of the month, day and Saint of the Day of my birthday.

Mar – from March I was in March

Fri – from Friday.  The day on which I was born.

SA – from the first initials of Saint Aquinas (Thomas Aquinas)

And so dad found a highly creative way to continue with his cultural traditions while pushing the envelope and branding me.   Thus, I submit a novel way to create your child’s name.  If you are of the school of I’d like my child to stand out in the crowd, be immediately unique, and also strong enough to withstand the onslaught of childhood teasing, then consider the timing and Saint of the Day of your child’s birth when naming your child.

I’ll save more stories and perspectives about living with a unique name in later posts.